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The Rhodesia Herald,
February 28, 1970
VISA restrictions, which often steer would-be visitors away from Zambia, are to be eased. But conditions of entry for South Africans and Rhodesians – and the delays involved – are unlikely to be relaxed.
The Minister of Information, Broadcasting, and Tourism, Mr Sikota Wina, announced in Parliament last night that visa arrangements were to be simplified, but he did not elaborate.
This morning, he said in an interview that the first step in a new policy would be to scrap individual visas for people in group tours.
They would enter Zambia instead on a multi-visa, he said. “This will speed up formalities at immigration posts tremendously,” the Minister added.
“This is the first move in what will develop into a much more liberal policy.”
By next year, visitors from what he called “friendly countries would be able to come to Zambia without visas,” he said.
The minister’s emphasis on friendly countries would seem to exclude South Africa, thus dashing hopes harboured by visitors from the Republic that a general relaxation was to be introduced.
Lengthy delays in the processing of visas are common place. Delays appear to be even longer in the case of South Africans and Rhodesia residents.
There have been times when South African applicants, usually businessmen, with interests or markets here, have made several attempts to secure visas by submitting several forms at intervals – without receiving a reply or even an acknowledgment to one.
Citizens of Commonwealth countries do not generally need visas for Zambia, and this includes British passport holders resident in South Africa.
But Britons who stop over for any length of time in Rhodesia en route to Zambia are denied entry without visa.
Post-UDI Rhodesian passport holders are banned from Zambia altogether.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Countries use visa restrictions to check and control the flow of visitors in and out of the country and to prevent illegal immigration and other criminal activities.
The relaxation of visa restrictions is critical to sectors such as tourism since it facilitates the movement of people between countries.
Zimbabwe has been progressively reviewing its visa requirements to facilitate the growth of the tourism sector. In March 2016 the country removed all visa requirements for SADC nationals and moved 37 countries to a friendlier category.
This was in response to a request from the tourism industry and also in fulfilment of the Sadc Protocol on the facilitation of Movement of Persons.
Online Reporter